Bella Donna
by gypsythatremains
Summary: Takes place during Chamber of Secrets. Slightly AU! Lorenza is a witch who works at St. Mungo's and has paid a visit to her close friend, Sybill Trelawney. Unfortunately, timing is bad and she is first seen by the staff the same night the blood message first appeared on the wall. Severus suspects her at first, but will he see she is truly innocent? Story is better than my summary!


The halls of Hogwarts surrounded the petite bodied witch as she approached her old friend. Lorenza had once been a Ravenclaw student under this very roof about twelve years ago. Sybill, her friend, had also been a Ravenclaw and had apparently gotten a job there.

"I agree it's been far too long since we've seen each other, Sybill," Lorenza said, nodding her head as she grinned and hugged her crazy-haired friend. Same old, dotty, Syb, hadn't changed a bit. She swore those were the same glasses from their seventh year too…

Sybill smiled widely and placed a bony hand on her (possibly only) friend's shoulder. Nodding as well, she said vigorously,

"Far too long, yes! Of course I had a feeling you'd be coming, being a Seer and all."

Lorenza let out a soft guffaw and lied, "Of course you did Syb, and those feelings never fail you, do they?"

Frankly, Lori didn't have the heart to tell Sybill that she was really just a crazy, loveable, hot mess. She had gotten a job here, however, so the Headmaster must have seen something that looked promising. Of course she had talent; it was just hard to see past the beads, bandannas, crazy hair and daily predictions of doom.

What appeared to be a tall shadow caught Lorenza's eye as it strode by. She glanced over and made awkward eye contact with him as Sybill rattled on about something a student had done to her that afternoon. He seemed to be in some kind of rush so Lori bashfully looked away and back at her friend.

"…and so then this ridiculous fifth year Slytherin, no doubt, bewitches my chai-,"

"Sybill, who is the man who just walked by?" Lorenza asked curiously. She didn't know why it was appropriate for her to know who he was, she just felt compelled to find out for whatever reason. Honestly he looked shady to her.

"Professor Severus Snape," she answered, her grin faltering a bit. "He is rather….how do you say, uhm… disconnected? Odd? Quite intimidating if you ask me, I don't particularly like his company…"

Lorenza laughed softly and started walking besides Sybill, following her to the Great Hall for dinner. She hoped it wasn't too formal of a dinner. Surely not if it was simply the everyday dinner the students all joined in the Great Hall for. Lorenza had just come in chiffon, black skirt which was fixing to drag along the floor, and a black, lacy long-sleeve to match. Her signature black boots and her green shawl were also pieces of her outfit for the day. Of course her jewelry she wore every day from back home. A silver crescent moon necklace with a second golden star charm on the chain; the moon had diamonds within it and she had also added on a small ring her mother had given her when she was a girl on the chain as well. Her family were considered 'gypsies' by some, hence the fact they moved around quite a bit, never in one area for too long. Lorenza had already been around the Muggle way of magic; card and tarot readings, the stars, etc. She was thrilled when she received her letter to Hogwarts, jumping at the chance to go and learn to channel her natural gifts.

Once in the hall, Sybill escorted her to where the staff members sat. Lorenza smiled to herself, Sybill seemed to be so proud of her accomplishment of becoming a teacher here at Hogwarts. She was proud of her long time friend. To be frank, Lori felt slightly awkward sitting with Syb's colleagues; she didn't know them and plus, she wasn't a staff member here either.

"Sybill," Minerva greeted with a motion towards Lorenza, "Do be so kind and introduce your friend, here."

Sybill cleared her throat as she took a chair, Lorenza putting herself next to her and then a familiar man on her left. She glanced around the table quickly, trying to see who all was around her. She recognized the man from earlier with the dark hair. Snape, was it? Then of course Minerva and Albus, and a few others she hadn't a clue about.

"Oh, right! This is Lorenza Sulamith, old friend of mine," Sybill said, nodding and smiling.

Lori smiled and said kindly, "Pleasure to meet you all."

Minerva look about ready to ask her a question but we cut off by the man to her left, whom she was about to find out was Gilderoy Lockhart, began to speak. She (or any of the others, she noticed) didn't look too thrilled about him opening his mouth.

"Ms. Sulamith, the pleasure is all mine," he said, kissing her hand that had been resting on the arm of the chair, and grinning. "Gilderoy Lockhart, author, hero, Defense Against the Dark Arts professor here at Hogwarts, and, of course, the winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile award. 5 times, consecutively," he added, holding his grin.

Lorenza blinked and drew her hand out of his. Was this guy for real? None the less, she made an attempt to look interested and smiled, nodding as he spoke. Something told her to not ask this man to call her by her first name. She noticed by now all the other adults at the table had begun other conversations, Sybill included.

"Author?" Lorenza inquired lightly. "What genre of book? I'm afraid your name doesn't ring any bells…"

She swore she heard Minerva snort in laughter in a hushed manner when she admitted she hadn't heard of Professor Lockhart. Lori glanced around again, expecting to have offended someone but they all looked rather…pleased. Odd…

His grin faltered a bit, "D-doesn't ring any bells? Are you perhaps new to the area?"

She let a bit of the sweetness out of her tone, but was still polite, when she answered, "No, I've worked at St. Mungos for ten years now…"

She had gotten an apprenticeship as a Healer at the hospital in the Wizarding World pretty much fresh out of Hogwarts. Her strength in Potions/Herbology has made an amazing difference in her success there. Thankfully Defense against the Dark Arts wasn't exactly needed in her line of work. She nearly flunked that class.

Severus felt a bit of satisfaction when Ms. Sulamith truthfully had no recollection of Lockhart's works. Finally, someone else who wouldn't be stroking his irritatingly large ego and fawning over him every second of the day.

Once the meal was over, each pupil went to their sleeping quarters. For students, their dormitories, and for teachers, personal rooms. Lorenza was using an extra one close to Sybill's in the tower. She was awakened by the panicked voices she heard through her doors. Concerned, Lorenza slipped on an black, silk robe, covering her sleeping attire, and opened her door. She caught glimpse of Minerva rushing down the stairs. Lorenza's curiosity got the most of her and she followed, sure to stay quiet. She wasn't sneaking, really, just wanting to see what the ruckus was all about. At one in the morning too. As she rounded the final curve on the staircase, Lorenza heard Albus speaking to Snape and Minerva.

"Innocent until proven guilty, Severus," he said wisely.

Lorenza silently stepped out from the stair well so she could see what was going on. She covered her mouth in shock to see a message written in blood on the corridor wall. She nearly let out a squeak of surprise but thankfully didn't when she noticed a poor cat whom was tied to a torch by its tail. As the group of people dispersed and walked the opposite direction, she shook her head and turned on her heels to go back to her bed. What was going on at this place? Lorenza was about to walk back up the dark stair well when she was greatly startled, letting out a short lived gasp, as she heard a deep voice say,

"What are you doing downstairs?"

**OOC: Okaaay so first chapter is done. This is my first Harry Potter fanfic and I am really hoping it's not horrible. I really love Sybill's character and am trying to incorporate her as much as I can throughout the story! Reviews are greatly appreciated! I don't own anything related to Harry Potter, Lorenza, however is my personal character created by me.**


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